Comprehensive support for smoking cessation is a relatively low priority for most Parties to the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, according to the findings of a 2012 Tobacco Watch report that focuses on the FCTC's Article 14.

Most Parties surveyed in the FCA report said they prioritised other articles that promoted cessation attempts or that created demand for cessation support. However, the report says there are quick and affordable actions Parties can take to improve access to tobacco cessation support.

These are:

• Provide primary care - all healthcare systems should be prioritising this intervention, irrespective of the state of other tobacco control measures;• Introduce basic infrastructure elements to get cessation support on the tobacco control agenda, such as: mandatory recording of tobacco use in medical notes, and addressing tobacco use by health and other relevant professionals.

The report emphasises that such measures are not expensive, nor logistically complex. Plus, a strong ethical case exists for supporting tobacco users to quit, it adds.

The report is based on surveys of tobacco cessation support conducted by researchers based in the UK, US and Brazil.